Early Alert: Potential Abuse or Neglect at Skilled Nursing Facilities

This Early Alert provides the preliminary results of our ongoing review of potential abuse or neglect of Medicare beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The audit is part of the ongoing efforts of the Office of Inspector General to detect and combat elder abuse. The objectives of our audit are to identify incidents of potential abuse or neglect of Medicare beneficiaries residing in SNFs and determine whether these incidents were reported and investigated in accordance with applicable requirements. We identified 134 Medicare beneficiaries whose injuries may have been the result of potential abuse or neglect that occurred from January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2016. We also found that a significant percentage of these incidents may not have been reported to law enforcement.

If you suspect someone is the victim of abuse or neglect, contact your local authorities immediately.

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Additional Resources

• Massachusetts Did Not Comply With Federal and State Requirements for Critical Incidents Involving Developmentally Disabled Medicaid Beneficiaries A-01-14-00008
• Connecticut Did Not Comply With Federal and State Requirements for Critical Incidents Involving Developmentally Disabled Medicaid Beneficiaries A-01-14-00002
• Nursing Facilities' Compliance with Federal Regulations for Reporting Allegations of Abuse or Neglect OEI-07-13-00010
• Adverse Events in Skilled Nursing Facilities: National Incidence Among Medicare Beneficiaries OEI-06-11-00370
• Criminal Convictions for Nurse Aides With Substantiated Findings of Abuse, Neglect, and Misappropriation OEI-07-10-00422
• Unidentified and Unreported Federal Deficiencies in California's Complaint Surveys of Nursing Homes Participating in the Medicare and Medicaid Programs A-09-09-00114
• Nursing Facilities' Employment of Individuals With Criminal Convictions OEI-07-09-00110

Last updated March 4, 2021